While the buzz is building about New York City mayoral hopeful Christine Quinn, her fiancee Kim Catullo prefers to remain subdued in the background. The two will be wed this month in Manhattan in front of an intimate group of family and friends as more details emerge about the “shy” love of Quinn’s life.
Quin, whose grandmother escaped from the sinking Titanic when emigrating from Cork, is favorite to become New York’s next mayor.

The New York Post sheds some light on Catullo’s humble New Jersey beginnings. Born to two factory workers, Catullo grew up in New Jersey, attending Rutgers University for her undergraduate degree and later Seton Hall Law School. Catullo’s mother died of ovarian cancer when Kim was only 17; Quinn’s mother died when she was only 16. The two were both then raised by their fathers, both of whom were WWII veterans.

While the two may share similar upbringings, their experience in terms of coming out as lesbians drastically differed. For Kim, it was never a big deal. “I don’t remember anything official in terms of Kim coming out,” said Kim’s friend Lisa Porada, who was Kim’s college roommate at Rutgers. “That was just always there. It was never an issue.”

Christine, on the other hand, struggled with her sexuality for a long time. She has described her coming out at the age of 25 as “end of a long process.”

The two met in September 2001 when they were set up by mutual friends. “For Kim, having someone to share her life with, that was always something she was looking for,” said Porada. “I remember hearing about Chris very early on after that date. It was pretty immediate that the two became a serious item.”

Preparing for their upcoming wedding is a dream come true for the couple. Christine Quinn famously lobbied for the legalization of gay marriage in New York and saw it passed last June. While their Manhattan nuptials this month could be the perfect opportunity to build some more political momentum for the mayoral hopeful, Christine is deferring to Kim’s wishes to have a quiet, more intimate ceremony.

“The end result is a wedding that will reflect Catullo’s roots more than Quinn’s political future,” says the New York Post of Quinn and Catullo’s upcoming nuptials.

For the ceremony, Kim is expected to wear a suit and Christine will be donning a gown. The cake is being designed and baked by one of Kim’s college freshman year roommate, Lisa Porada of Chocolate Carousel Bakery in Wall, NJ. Porada’s daughter Olivia will be singing at the wedding as well.

While the ceremony will be intimate, it won’t be devoid of some of New York’s biggest political names. The guest list includes Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Governor Cuomo and Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand.

Catullo is supportive of Quinn’s bid for New York mayor, but still has aspirations of her own. Marielle Dugan, one of Kim’s best friends during their time at Seton Hall Law School said “Her career is important to her and I’m sure she will pursue her own goals,” said Dugan. “But she’ll help keep Chris grounded and keep perspective there.”